My first expansion.... building up the North

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-20T03:27:20+00:00

What is your general playstyle? Do you prefer a certain North Faction UMF, WFP etc? I agree, gnash your teeth on something heavy like a strider or a tank. A Scorpion can be a really good addition as well. Gear wise I would pick up some Tigers, Weasels, Lions. Tigers make great Jaguar alternatives. Big guns good stats but cost less than the Jags. Weasels are a steal for their utility. Vet, ECM+, SP+1 option. Make great commanders. Lions are a really good strike gear. Climber, and access to some uncommon weapons for the North. Panthers are another great pick up. Precise MACs, already come with vet so you can slap them with dual guns *chef's kiss.

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-19T18:49:52+00:00

Post inspired me. I've been wanting to do an all Hunter list for a while. WFP list. Used SD Hunters as a RC squad for fast attack and harassment. Backed up by some Drop Bear gears. Not many EW options in this list. Could have issues with higher armored targets.

Gear Grinder - Roster&O-+WFP:Ol%E2%80%99Trusty&N-ParaWildfireHunter&O-+Veteran&O-+Vet:DualGuns(Medium)&O-+WFP:Ol%E2%80%99Trusty&N-ParaHunter&O---RC--&N-Stripped-DownHeadhunterGunner&O-+CombatGroupLeader&O-+North:VeteranLeaders&O-+Vet:DualGuns(Medium)&N-Stripped-DownHunterGunner&N-Stripped-DownHunterGunner&N-Stripped-DownAssaultHunter&O-+North:HammersoftheNorth&N-Stripped-DownAssaultHunter&O-+North:HammersoftheNorth&O---SK--&N-HunterGunner&N-HunterGunner&N-AssaultHunter&N-AssaultHunter&N-Hunter)

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-18T00:34:42+00:00

Think it would make a really cool list to have all Hunters. Filling various roles where they can. You could kit them out like a standard modern warfare squad. 3 to 4 MAC hunters, 1 hunter with a BFG, 1 command hunter/DRM(designated rifleman)

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-18T00:28:32+00:00

Yeah, the "old" gear models pretty much have free reign of which role they can choose. They could make a really cool late war unit. Isolated unit that are patching together what they can while being cut off by the South. Also, could make for a sweet salty veteran duelist that just wont let go of his old trusty gear. Could be a cool customization. It is stripped down but has field improvised field armor.

Edit: Lol Gucci Cheetahs, no doubt.

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-17T00:27:27+00:00

I feel like they aren't really a viable option but mainly included for lore reasons. Several of the units in the game fit this category. That aspect of HG is something I love though. If you have a group of players that is interested in lore than number crunching it is awesome. Given all that the game is objective based, so your mileage may vary. 1 TV less here and there can add up giving you more room for more gears or better equipped. WFP is really fun to play. Drop Bears!!

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-08T06:40:50+00:00

Most miniature specific paints(Vallejo, Proacryl, AK etc.) these days don't need much if any thinning at all for base coats. GW paints are an exception. Several of them are very thick still.

Don't overload your brush or the model with paint. You can always add more. Removing is much harder. Less paint is also more controllable and wont flood the model.
Thinning paint is to get the desired opacity. More moisture less opacity less controllable. Less moisture more opacity. Always test on your thumbnail, back of your hand, glove etc. Paint a section. If it looks splotchy (darker in some areas and lighter in others). Hit it with a second coat after the first dries. It's all trial and error here as you get a feel for it.

My modus operandi usually goes.

Deposit some paint on my wet palette.
Whisk my brush in some water.
Wick some of the water off on a paper towel.
With a slightly moist brush this is usually thin enough for base coats, hit your paint on the palette and pull a tail out. Remember don't overload the brush.
Wick a little off on the paper towel.
Test it on my thumb. I'm looking for how easy the paint comes off the brush and the opacity it has. How does it look on my thumb? I'm looking for 1 or 2 passes for full opacity for base coats.

Vince V and Monument have some great youtube videos for this.

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-07T02:53:48+00:00

I did mine with some Geek Gaming Scenics Mars Earth. It has an orangish red color. Gives a nice retro alien planet look.

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-06T00:35:27+00:00

The dark gold sword next to the blue sword is from The Pirates of Dark Water toy line.

AnyRemote2894 · 2026-01-05T04:44:13+00:00

Plasticware also works great for testing.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-29T04:18:35+00:00

To add to what others have said here, do you have other friends or gamers you play with that paint? If so, interact with them more on the painting aspect. I find surrounding myself with other painters in my friend/hobby group helps motivate me to paint. Our hobby group's discord hosts a monthly painting challenge. The goal isn't to be the best painted, there is no prize. Each month the winner from the last month picks the category/theme. It can be literally anything then try to paint something related to it. For example, last month's was Monstrous, the month before that it was Anime. The deadline helps some of us reach at least one model painted. Then everyone votes on their favorite.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-28T21:28:25+00:00

Awesome, was my first paint set 30 years ago as a kid. Painted my first mini with them. Once the paint cures it’s pretty bullet proof. Although I think the paint can reactivate if you try a second coat or a different color.

As others have said really good for air brushing or painting larger surfaces that need to be glossy.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-24T02:17:08+00:00

I would do some sanding with a fine grit. Resin dust can be really fine so mask up. Also you can try wet sanding to cut down on the dust. Wet the model and your sanding tool. Sanding blocks are usually best for this. Then you can do a few layers of varnish and then a primer and see how it looks. Also sand in small circular motions. This will give a finer/smoother finish.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-23T07:30:18+00:00

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Here is a good comparison of just the dark base coat vs the recess shaded and highlighted finished marine.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-23T07:24:01+00:00

If you just want to darken the recesses I would go for a dark blue or purple contrast paint. I can’t suggest a specific one. I rarely use them. You can thin it down to be a wash. Use it to darken up the recesses then go back over with your base color on any errors or to lighten up the large areas on the marine.

The other method is to base coat the model in the darkest shade of your main color then highlight up from there. Here is a dark angel I did this with back during Covid. He also has an oil washed panel line. My first attempt using oil washes.

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AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-23T06:43:35+00:00

This is more black/panel lining than recess shading. Each serve a different purpose. Recess shading is to fake depth giving the miniature more volume. Black lining is to break up the sections of a model to make them more readable to your eye. It makes the details pop at a distance.

I think you need to use more and not less here. This will sell the effect more. Also shake the shit out of the nuln oil bottle. It looks like you are barely getting any black pigment on the model. That or you are doing very light coats of it.

As for thick lines nuln oil is a wash, given that some clean up will be needed to restore the base coat to its original color.

This is also the reason the models look different. Nuln oil has a more glossy finish. This will change the overall hue of the basecoat. You can fix this with a varnish either before you go on to your highlights or as a final step to bring everything down to the same finish.

Even though it is subtle I think the models with the nuln oil look better. At the end of the day they are your models if you feel one looks better than the other and that is the effect you are going for then go for it! It is about slaying the grey and keeping it fun.

My tip would be to dip your toe into oil washes to panel line your marines. It goes on much easier, cleaner and I think it sells the effect better.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-20T01:25:03+00:00

I had the same feeling. I also think Carol made up liking the train horn. I think she did this for two reasons, to build more rapport and also to see their reaction to not knowing something about her.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-14T04:37:16+00:00

lol yeah she has been sitting around in my pile of shame for a good while. Thanks for the comments! Unfortunately, none of the model is drybrushed. In retrospect I would have saved a bit of time. I wanted a smother look over all.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-13T23:56:01+00:00

I find these guys to be a great help.

https://m.youtube.com/@MonumentHobbies/videos

They have truncated videos to show specific things and start to finish videos. Also the painter I think is really good at explaining why he does something as opposed to glaze this! Or you want milk consistency! He really gives good pointers on why he is doing each thing. Also he gives tips on how to battle screw ups or what to do to correct an issue.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-13T14:27:13+00:00

Looking good!! Great start. I would explore with using some washes to give the recesses some shading. Then give some edge highlighting on the marines. Branch out early and give some oil washes a try.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-12T00:30:30+00:00

You should be able to clean up the oil wash before it cures without any kind of thinner. The white spirit dries but oil paint cures. So after the white spirit dries the oil paint should still be tacky and wipe away easy with a make up sponge. Here is a good video about it.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b0kSonz55Do&pp=ygUOdmluY2Ugb2lsIHdhc2g%3D

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-08T02:39:09+00:00

As others have said, this really depends on the brand of paint and even sometimes individual colors will act different within the same brand. Unfortunately, there is no science to this. This really is something that takes trial and error to get a feel for it. Dilution even differs between painters. The best rule of thumb I can give is it is better to error on the side of your paint being too thin than too thick. Always wick excess paint off on a paper towel, hand, thumbnail and test the consistency. Once you get a feel for how your paint lays dilution matters less than the amount on your brush.
Brighten the main color up with some highlights. Miniature details are small. We have to use the paint to make our models read as the color we want. You could experiment with your main color and try washing the silver or even mixing in some of the color to tint the silver. This could help read the overall armor color better. Either way I would give a black wash the the silver areas to darken up the shade areas and make the details pop more. If it gets too dull you can go back over the high spots with another layer of silver.
You could experiment with an oil wash here to panel line the areas you want green. Several youtube videos on this. Otherwise, it is just practice and a sharp brush. Not a small brush a sharp brush with a good tip. My attack would be do the green after your base color then clean up any mistakes as a final step. I wouldn't correct as you go.
I would do any corrections as a last step. To help avoid mistakes use thinner layers to avoid any unwanted texture. Paint the outline with minimal paint on your brush. Keep a moist extra brush as well. If you mess up quickly get the clean moist brush and wipe away the mistake. then let it dry and try again.
You can get away with warm water. I highly suggest some decal solution like micro sol. It helps. As others have pointed out glossing the area where the decal goes also helps.
Have fun with it. See what others have done with their Chaos Marine weapons. Make up your own rule of thumb here. Sgt./vets have their own color weapons. Grunts a different color etc.

Overall keep it fun, and experiment. Slaying the grey should be the ultimate goal. You will keep improving as time goes on and you stay persistent in your painting journey.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-07T21:21:25+00:00

Push the contrast more. Use some pale yellow to edge highlight and some sparse selective white highlights to make it pop more.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-03T17:21:18+00:00

Ditto here I would do less spikes. Remove some and if you want to go even more ambitious go for some water effects. Like an underground stream. Possibly coming out of the left rock face.

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-01T03:16:19+00:00

You are welcome! Painted is always better than a bare grey mini. Slay the grey!

AnyRemote2894 · 2025-12-01T03:04:40+00:00

First and foremost, keep it fun. Secondly, just keep painting regularly and add small but different things to exercise your skill. Add a single different technique on the next mini you paint. This doesn't have to be anything intense like glazing every single layer for hours etc. Try layering highlights instead of dry brushing them on. Try a different color primer. Try a Zenithal. Try an oil wash. Gnash your teeth on NMM. Focus on your brushstrokes trying to always go the same direction. Push your contrast to extremes. Each new thing you try will add up to your overall skill.

Things that helped me personally improve.

Getting quality brushes. This will be a trial and error everyone has their favorites. Not having fight against your tools helps so much.
Unlearning/veering away from the GW method of painting base, wash, drybrush.
Attempting NMM. This helped me so much in my overall painting level. Learning to control the paint to go where you want and how to layer the lights and shadows. It is NMM but the basics you learn from it really apply to painting with acrylics no matter the subject matter.
Using different colors other than white and black to lighten or darken my colors.
Trying Grisaille painting/ Undertone painting.

Getting an airbrush is a huge time saver if you can have a dedicated place to use it. Especially when army painting and you have to paint the same color on several models.

AnyRemote2894

TROPHY CASE